The StarPhoenix » We’ll be the Noisehttp://blogs.thestarphoenix.com
The StarPhoenixTue, 31 Mar 2015 20:45:58 +0000enhourly1http://wordpress.com/http://s2.wp.com/i/buttonw-com.png » We’ll be the Noisehttp://blogs.thestarphoenix.com
Scratch shuts its doorshttp://blogs.thestarphoenix.com/2012/06/27/scratch-shuts-its-doors/
http://blogs.thestarphoenix.com/2012/06/27/scratch-shuts-its-doors/#commentsWed, 27 Jun 2012 22:11:28 +0000http://blogs.thestarphoenix.com/?p=6182Downtown nightclub Scratch has closed its doors without any fanfare. No closing party, no pinatas, no farewell shooters.

“It is with many emotions that I have to announce that @scratchclub opened its doors for the last time Sunday June 24,” …

]]>Downtown nightclub Scratch has closed its doors without any fanfare. No closing party, no pinatas, no farewell shooters.

“It is with many emotions that I have to announce that @scratchclub opened its doors for the last time Sunday June 24,” club owner Neil Malik wrote on Twitter last night. He did not return calls from The StarPhoenix for comment.

“It has been an unbelievable three years. Thank you to everyone who has supported this place time and time again!””

Today the local blogosphere is abuzz with reaction.

The Rooster’s head honcho and Scratch employee eulogized the scenester hangout and Ominocity gave it a shout-out as well, so I thought I should pitch in. I’m just waiting for what Saskatoon Dog has to say about it.

I probably visited Scratch once every six months or so and always had fun, although typically woke up the next day with an empty wallet.

My problem was always their lack of promotion. I never really knew about the great DJs or electronic artists they consistently booked. Once I attended a show by the amazing group YACHT, which was probably my favourite Scratch memory.

Though the ladies’ washroom was a mess (seriously ladies, why?) and its patrons carried the skinny headband trend on well past its sell-by date, I’m really going to miss Scratch. It was a good option when sick of the Amigos routine and a fun place to go dance to (reasonably) good music without the creepy vibes or seedier overtones of most other nightclubs in the city. I’ll miss you Scratch.

]]>http://blogs.thestarphoenix.com/2012/06/27/scratch-shuts-its-doors/feed/0spjeanettestewart1Saskatoon band gets Polaris long list lovehttp://blogs.thestarphoenix.com/2012/06/14/saskatoon-band-gets-polaris-long-list-love/
http://blogs.thestarphoenix.com/2012/06/14/saskatoon-band-gets-polaris-long-list-love/#commentsThu, 14 Jun 2012 23:37:52 +0000http://blogs.thestarphoenix.com/?p=6019The Polaris Prize long list nominations were revealed this afternoon, and Saskatoon’s Shooting Guns are one of the 40 artists up for consideration for the prestigious music prize.

A cursory look at the list of past nominees shows The Guns …

]]>The Polaris Prize long list nominations were revealed this afternoon, and Saskatoon’s Shooting Guns are one of the 40 artists up for consideration for the prestigious music prize.

A cursory look at the list of past nominees shows The Guns are the first Saskatchewan band to receive recognition by the Polaris Prize, which is decided by a jury made up of music journalists from across Canada.

The prize is intended to be awarded based on the artistic merit of the group’s record alone, and other accolades, record sales and otherwise have no sway who takes home the $25,000 prize. Past winners include Patrick Watson, Caribou (who are currently on tour with Radiohead) and last year’s high profile winners The Arcade Fire.

This year, I was selected as a juror for the first time. This means plenty of albums to wade through and a message board full of comments from writers across the country.

Here’s how it works: for months leading up to the long list vote jurors are asked to suggest albums. These are added to a page all the other jurors can access. There is ongoing discussion of the different records as the months go by. In June, the jurors vote for five records they believe deserve to make the long list. The votes are tallied and the long list is announced shortly after.

After a month or so of deliberation, jurors vote on the short list. Then the short list is narrowed down to one final winner after a marathon debate by a selected group of jurors. This final panel is held in September.

For me, my long list voting was intensely personal and based on which albums made it through the Internet, past my cluttered desktop of digital files and in the best case scenario, onto the turntable.

For the past few months it’s felt like every time I’ve turned on my computer I’ve been inundated with Grimes. I’ve managed to miss her live show at three or four different festivals in the past year, but I picked up this record the day it came out and I haven’t been disappointed. While some find her voice warbly and her music nothing but chirps and loops, I find it compelling. I could listen to Oblivion on repeat for hours. She’s been described as “post-Internet” and had various cyborgian labels attached to her work but I think what matters to me beyond the barrage of hype is the fact that she did this on her own and that this music feels like its point of origin, 3 a.m. in a dark Montreal apartment.

I’m ecstatic this list made the cut. This record topped my year end list for Postmedia, and I thought I should give it m endorsement in the long-list vote. These guys are psych wizards and my favourite Saskatoon band.

In this age of oversaturation and of being handed new music on what feels like on the hour, this record somehow cut through all of that. It was a slow grower. It’s embarassing to admit that I didn’t get a real chance to listen to it for months after it came out. Then one day it clicked and I played the CD on repeat, over and over. Now, even typing the words “Cannon Bros” prompts their keening melodies to plant themselves in my brain. Keep an eye out for this young duo from Winnipeg, MB. (Pro tip: you can catch Cannon Bros at MoSoFEST Friday night at Vangelis. They’re on at 10:15 p.m.)

One time I was hanging out with Factor and I told him this was the only hip-hop record I had. He laughed at me. And rightfully so. But you’ve got to start somewhere right? Some of the stuff on this album makes me laugh right out loud, like the girl’s voice saying “are you drunk right now?” on the song Marvin’s Room, or the absurdity of a song called HYFR being as catchy as it is. But there’s also a duet with Rihanna. And the production is awesome. He’s a superstar. And these songs feel honest and confessional. I love this record.

This was my only vote that didn’t make the final list. Once on tour I woke up after crashing on a floor in Halifax in the living room of a house full of sunlight, great records, art and a piano. I walked around the city for the rest of the morning and it was one of those perfect moments of feeling alive and young and on a big adventure. When I got a copy of this record sent to me, I recognized the house on the cover. It was where I’d stayed that night in Halifax. These songs have hooks, with gorgeous, yearning melodies and ragged fuzzed out guitars. They remind me of that day and they sound to me like the east coast and youthful ambition.

]]>http://blogs.thestarphoenix.com/2012/06/14/saskatoon-band-gets-polaris-long-list-love/feed/0shootinggunsfacebookspjeanettestewart1polaris2012New music, talent shows and rock and rollhttp://blogs.thestarphoenix.com/2012/06/08/new-music-talent-shows-and-rock-and-roll/
http://blogs.thestarphoenix.com/2012/06/08/new-music-talent-shows-and-rock-and-roll/#commentsFri, 08 Jun 2012 22:29:49 +0000http://blogs.thestarphoenix.com/?p=5992Saskatoon band Reform Party has released a brand new EP and are throwing a show tonight at Vangeli’s (with guests Eyebats, Form and Dire Wolf) to celebrate and to kick off their Eastern tour, which sees the band go as …]]>Saskatoon band Reform Party has released a brand new EP and are throwing a show tonight at Vangeli’s (with guests Eyebats, Form and Dire Wolf) to celebrate and to kick off their Eastern tour, which sees the band go as far as Quebec and back.

Congratulations to the band on the release. You can check out the new EP here.

Tonight at Amigos, CFCR is presenting a multi-band celebration and send-off party for the upcoming Sled Island festival in mid-June. Obligatory disclaimer, I’m playing, but so are five other bands: Foam Lake, Haunted Souls, Castle River, Vancouver’s Needles/Pins and The Mandates (from Calgary). This is one of those “bargain” shows – with an admission price of $5, that’s approximately $0.83 per band.

Classical music lovers should check out the Drift The Earth and Sky concerts presented this weekend by composers Paul Suchan and Darren Miller. I had a chance to speak with Darren and get his take on why they planned this festival. Check out The StarPhoenix article here. Their shows are also very affordable at only $5 per concert, it’s a good chance to hear some new classical music without paying symphony prices.

On Saturday, The Duo competition is on at TCU Place, and judging by the amount of online buzz going on, this will be a big event this weekend. I wrote a story featuring the very enthusiastic contenders Justin and Matt for today’s paper.

Enjoy the weekend!

]]>http://blogs.thestarphoenix.com/2012/06/08/new-music-talent-shows-and-rock-and-roll/feed/0reform partyspjeanettestewart1UK Tour Diary: part twohttp://blogs.thestarphoenix.com/2012/05/24/uk-tour-diary-part-two/
http://blogs.thestarphoenix.com/2012/05/24/uk-tour-diary-part-two/#commentsThu, 24 May 2012 22:14:28 +0000http://blogs.thestarphoenix.com/?p=5886This is the second in a short series of posts about touring the UK with Saskatoon band Slow Down, Molasses.

May 20, 2012:

At this point we’ve crossed the UK, visiting Wales and Scotland, played another epic festival in Liverpool …

]]>This is the second in a short series of posts about touring the UK with Saskatoon band Slow Down, Molasses.

May 20, 2012:

At this point we’ve crossed the UK, visiting Wales and Scotland, played another epic festival in Liverpool and are in the van driving to London to catch our flight home to Edmonton.

It feels crazy that this adventure is nearly over, and yet it seems like we’ve been gone forever.

Scotland is amazing. We drive from Wales to Glasgow in one day, and the drive takes longer than expected. Though the distance in miles is fairly short, the endless amount of roundabouts and varying speeds of traffic make the trip feel much longer.

We load in and sound check as soon as we get to the venue. In Glasgow we play a venue called the 13th Note, an awesome vegetarian restaurant and pub upstairs and a squat, dirty basement club downstairs. There are four bands on the bill and the first two are excellent. The last was a duo and featured a member of Trembling Bells, a very cool Scottish band heavily inspired by British folk traditions. Unfortunately the duo’s violin player and lead singer had something of a meltdown during the show and afterwards left her gear on the stage for a long time, chatting with my band and audience members before starting to pack up. Finally I asked her politely to move and she lost her temper on me. She apologized later but it was still the strangest encounter of tour.

The band in Glasgow with our amazing host, Ryan’s Aunt Gretta.

Our promoter was a great host and would put beer – “raider burrs” – in our hands whenever he saw they were empty. We each had several bottles on stage, and after the show the audience crowded around our van asking us to party with them. Unfortunately we were a disappointment, and elected to drive to our drummer Ryan’s aunt’s house. She was an excellent host and gave us a warm welcome, made us tea and ushered us to bed. For the first and only time on tour me being the only girl earned me my own room and I had what was likely the best sleep of the entire trip.

In the morning she sent us off with a bag full of “Scotland” t-shirts and more than a few kindly pats on the head. It was delightful.

We spent the rest of the afternoon in Glasgow. I made one stop, heading to a strip-mall type set of storefronts that contained a thrift store, a guitar store and a vegetarian cafe, screenprint gallery, venue and record shop all in one. This is a city I’d love to visit again.

After our brief respite in Glasgow we drove across the entire width of Scotland (a 45 minute drive) to Edinburgh. Our venue was approximately two blocks from the Edinburgh Castle. I suppose people who live in the city become desensitized to these towering pieces of history, but it was a breathtaking sight. We had 15 minutes to walk around it before load in. The venue was another basement club, with a friendly sound tech who turned out to have played with seminal Scottish bands Mogwai and Teenage Fanclub. We quickly became his fan club.

By this point in the trip we were all dosing ourselves with an assortment of over the counter cold meds, and the particular mixture of two pints and a decongestant resulted in the wooziest, wildest show of tour. Afterwards we decided we were going to relocate the band to Scotland and spent the night hanging out and listening to records at the promoter’s house, a gorgeous flat above a shop, with high ceilings and giant windows.

Just a giant castle, no big deal.

From Edinburgh we traveled all the way back down to London to play another show, this time with five bands on the bill. We were late and missed our sound check. The UK’s policy of early shows often makes for tight timelines. Instead of watching the other bands I elected to sit in the van and hang out outside the venue. The decongestants had a negative effect tonight and I played one of the worst shows of tour. At one point I felt like I might keel over mid-set.

We check out early in the morning and drive up to Liverpool for the Liverpool Sound City Festival, where we’ll play the last few shows of the tour.

As we drive into Liverpool the first thing we noticed is all the burned out buildings with boarded up windows. It gives the city a bit of an ominous feel at the start, but after finding our venue (a vegetarian cafe and venue that also holds a jam space and a dance studio) we’re appeased. Add to that our choice accommodations, an apartment-style hotel room with a balcony that looks out on the chaotic club district of Liverpool. I thought we were done with stag and hen parties in Brighton, but it turns out Liverpool is just as bad. In addition, every woman in Liverpool who isn’t attending the music festival seems to wear six inch stilettos, heavy make-up and short, short skin tight dresses. As soon as the sun starts to set the street is alive with party people yelling back and forth from their balconies in a particular sort of slang I didn’t hear anywhere else in the UK.

Both of our festival shows were early in the evening, leaving room to go see more bands play. The first night Chris and I went to see the bands White Denim and Pond. For some reason I deemed it worthwhile to wait in the rain to see the bands and when I got in was surprised to find that the much hyped White Denim reminded me of the kind of blues rock band you’d hear at Bud’s on Broadway. Pond played what seemed like a scattered set, but the band members were super friendly when I went hunting for their vinyl. A weird thing about both the festivals that we played was the lack of space to sell your merchandise. It was rare to see a band have everything spread out somewhere in the club, and to track it down you usually had to go talk to the band themselves.

Set up for our last show in Liverpool.

Our last show of tour was in an art gallery and studio space, and we performed in front of a giant photograph of a wrestler. In all the tours I’ve been part of the last show always feels sad. Perhaps it’s the bittersweet feelings of knowing it’s time to go home, or the built up pressure to make the last one count. Either way, we’re done by 6 p.m., leaving time to spend one last night exploring Liverpool.

After a failed attempt at a nap, I headed out to catch Library Voices. I found the venue mid-set and sang along to every song until Jordan Cook appeared from behind me. There was something very surreal about being surrounded by Liverpudlians while talking to a friend from home and watching a band from Regina perform these incredibly familiar songs.

I have my first real meal of the day after this, which eases me out of last night’s hangover and we all decide to go catch Cadence Weapon performing at the same venue I saw Pond the night before, a theatre that seemed to have been built to stage Shakespearean plays, as it closely mimicked the Globe Theatre style. It made for a great venue, with sight lines everywhere you stood.

After Cadence Weapon we found the last band playing at the festival. It was mind blowing, but not in a good way. The band was made up of a group of clowns, fire spinners and hula hoopers. A DJ spun the tracks while ska clowns laid down horn blasts and the fire swallower jiggled in the front. It was like ICP without the sinister side, and it was likely one of the most bizarre musical experiences I’ve ever had.

Unfortunately my lack of computer time on this trip meant I wasn’t able to post my blogs about touring with my band across the UK as planned. However, I did use the old fashioned method of …

]]>Greetings from rainy Saskatoon!

Unfortunately my lack of computer time on this trip meant I wasn’t able to post my blogs about touring with my band across the UK as planned. However, I did use the old fashioned method of note taking (pen and paper) and wrote some diary entries to share when I got home.

May 15, 2012:

This is the first, very belated tour diary entry from our current Slow Down, Molasses UK Tour. Most of our time has been spent playing, sound checking, driving from venue to venue or finding parking spots. Parking a 10-ft tall Mercedes Sprinter van in various UK cities has proved a point of great difficulty.

Thus far we’ve had an incredible range of shows. The first of the tour was in Edmonton. We decided to fly out of #yeg after finding an incredible deal with Air Transat (more on their not-so-incredible customer service later). We arrived in Edmonton just in time to play a chaotic set at the Wunderbar‘s second anniversary bash, a wild party featuring about 10 different bands.

The first thing I noticed was Frank, bassist of the band Whiskeyface slumped at a table sleeping. He woke up two hours later with his band mid-set and jumped onstage to play a remarkably tight set for his high level of inebriation.

After a sleep at a generous friend’s house we flew out and I spent the eight hour plane trip sandwiched between two six-foot-plus guitar players Chris and Chad.

Once in London we checked into our incredibly compact Travelodge room. I slept through the first afternoon while the rest of the band explored. Jet lag is the worst.

Roof Dog atop the Brixton Windmill.

The next day was spent exploring Camden Town while a couple bandmates picked up the rental gear and tour van in Oxford. Our first show was at the Brixton Windmill, an out of the way venue that hosts an amazing range of bands. The Sheepdogs were scheduled to play there the next week, as well as The Black Belles, a band signed to Jack White’s Third Man Record Label. The first UK show was fantastic, despite the soundcheck, which was delayed and disconcerting, due to the opening band’s wiener of a tour manager pacing the stage in front of us tapping his watch while we checked.

After the set we packed up and drove to Brighton, where we spent the weekend at the Great Escape Festival and played three great shows.

A view of the beach from Brighton Pier.

Brighton is a beautiful, bustling seaside town, which also happens to be England’s destination of choice for stag and hen (bachelor & bachelorette) parties. I’ve never seen so many giant inflatable penises before.

Despite my best intentions to score an interview with The Sheepdogs, we were called to play a surprise set at “The Hub” immediately after we stepped off stage. The Hub was an outdoor venue inside a gutted airstream trailer. The impromptu gig went very well – performed to a curious crowd and a couple adorable dancing babies in the front row.

We got back to the Canada House just in time to see the ‘Dogs, unfortunately missing Jordan Cook. After the show we hung out in the green room for a bit, but even backstage The Sheepdogs were being mugged for photographs and autographs. It made me glad for our obscurity.

The next few days were spent trying to catch bands, missing more than I actually saw.

I managed to find Montreal band Doldrums performing in a back alley car park while searching for the New York band Friends, who I missed. Here’s a video from the Doldrums set:

We played a well received show with The Barr Brothers, who hail from Montreal. I’ve written about them before on this blog so it was incredible to play with them. It was their last night of tour before flying home and they gifted their bottle of honey to our sickly lead singer before packing themselves into their van.

We ended the night with a pizza party and some beers in the hotel. No one had any energy left to see more bands or party.

Our only day off of tour was during the last day of the fest in Brighton. The day was spent exploring, visiting Brighton Pier and being disappointed by New York buzz band The Big Sleep.

That night I caught folk troubadour Loney Dear, which was one of the highlights of tour for me. The concert was incredible, staged in a giant church just as the sun was going down through stained glass windows. He used loop pedals, drums and an acoustic guitar to build an epic crescendo all by himself. It was gorgeous and devastating. After that show everyone in the band met up to see our Canadian friends Born Gold play a truncated set. Their electronics were having all kinds of problems, but their music is still insanely fun to dance to.

The day after Brighton we headed to Oxford for a Sunday night show. I slept in the van when we got there while everyone else explored. Tour is tiring. We played a chill show (most shows end by 11 p.m. in the UK) and crashed at the promoter’s house, taking over his couches and living room floor.

The next day we headed to Cardiff, Wales, where we recorded a session for The Waiting Room radio. It felt like a very long band practice and I hope the results are okay. Then we packed up and loaded into our venue. Tour is much less glamorous than it might seem from the outside, especially at our level. There’s lots of waiting around, lots of schlepping heavy gear up and down stairs. But really the reward – especially in the UK where audiences really seem to get what we’re doing – is growing as a band and as artists by playing each night.

Then there’s the terrible jokes, the bizarre experiences and the incredible hospitality of people you don’t know well opening their homes to you because you play music. Half way in, besides missing someone at home, I never want this to end.

It was quite foolish to promise a tour blog without bringing a computer. Which is why this post comes unadorned with photographs.

Thus far, most of our time has been spent playing excellent shows in the UK.…

]]>Greetings from Scotland.

It was quite foolish to promise a tour blog without bringing a computer. Which is why this post comes unadorned with photographs.

Thus far, most of our time has been spent playing excellent shows in the UK.

For the rest of the time we look for wireless hotspots and speak to our loved ones at home and reassure our parents that we’re okay.

Most of us have a serious cold. We’re more than halfway through this trip, which is sort of depressing considering this is the first blog post I’ve been able to make.

Please take care and continue to follow.

jstewart@thestarphoenix.com

]]>http://blogs.thestarphoenix.com/2012/05/16/tour-blog-molasses/feed/0spjeanettestewart1Saskatoon band invades the UKhttp://blogs.thestarphoenix.com/2012/05/04/saskatoon-band-invades-the-uk/
http://blogs.thestarphoenix.com/2012/05/04/saskatoon-band-invades-the-uk/#commentsFri, 04 May 2012 23:20:25 +0000http://blogs.thestarphoenix.com/?p=5764Today’s Friday blog post is a bit different because next week I’m flying to London, England to perform with Slow Down, Molasses and I wanted to introduce the posts I’ll be writing while I’m there.

I’ll be posting updates about …

]]>Today’s Friday blog post is a bit different because next week I’m flying to London, England to perform with Slow Down, Molasses and I wanted to introduce the posts I’ll be writing while I’m there.

I’ll be posting updates about our trip online as often as possible. Next weekend we’ll be playing at the Great Escape Festival in Brighton, England. We’re performing a special “Canadian Blast” showcase there with Saskatoon groups The Sheepdogs and Jordan Cook in addition to our festival showcase with the inimitable Barr Brothers, so expect lots of Saskatoon related coverage. After that we’ll head to Scotland before playing the Liverpool Sound City festival.

It’s our second trip to play overseas, and the last time was fantastic. Stay tuned for updates about what it’s like to play shows for UK audiences, carry a 53 lb keyboard around on the London subway system, drive on the wrong side of the road and live out of a tiny backpack for two weeks. Rock and roll!

High tea at the 2011 End of the Road Festival.

]]>http://blogs.thestarphoenix.com/2012/05/04/saskatoon-band-invades-the-uk/feed/0UK blogspjeanettestewart1UK tourMumbling at Mastodonhttp://blogs.thestarphoenix.com/2012/05/03/mumbling-at-mastodon/
http://blogs.thestarphoenix.com/2012/05/03/mumbling-at-mastodon/#commentsThu, 03 May 2012 23:30:34 +0000http://blogs.thestarphoenix.com/?p=5753A couple weeks ago I got to interview a member of the metal band Mastodon.

I was incredibly excited and did tons of research for the interview. Shortly beforehand I was told I’d be talking to drummer Brann Dailor …

]]>A couple weeks ago I got to interview a member of the metal band Mastodon.

I was incredibly excited and did tons of research for the interview. Shortly beforehand I was told I’d be talking to drummer Brann Dailor instead of bassist Troy Sanders, which was who I’d been preparing to speak with.

Not that this should matter – judging from the numerous online video clips, everyone in the band is down to earth and accommodating to journalists, but the combination of nerves, a tightly monitored 15-minute interview slot and an outbreak of amateur interview techniques got the better of me. Let’s just say, I was going to publish the transcript but it’s too embarrassing.

That said, the highlight was definitely talking about the band Genesis with Dailor. I also learned a valuable lesson. Sometimes it’s best to talk to musicians about what matters most to them. Music.

So instead of a transcript you can read my article, or watch this clip of Brann Dailor calling his mom, courtesy of the Noisey YouTube channel. Can’t wait for the show Saturday!

]]>http://blogs.thestarphoenix.com/2012/05/03/mumbling-at-mastodon/feed/0mastodon1spjeanettestewart1Ness Creek makes a splash with 2012 line-uphttp://blogs.thestarphoenix.com/2012/05/01/ness-creek-makes-a-splash-with-2012-line-up/
http://blogs.thestarphoenix.com/2012/05/01/ness-creek-makes-a-splash-with-2012-line-up/#commentsTue, 01 May 2012 21:14:24 +0000http://blogs.thestarphoenix.com/?p=5727Ness Creek organizers announced the full line-up for this year’s festival today, and once again it’s good enough to make me want to pack up my leaky tent and spend three nights in the (almost) wilderness.

One of my favourite …

]]>Ness Creek organizers announced the full line-up for this year’s festival today, and once again it’s good enough to make me want to pack up my leaky tent and spend three nights in the (almost) wilderness.

One of my favourite bands The Besnard Lakes will perform in the beautiful boreal forest, which alone is going to make the festival spectacular.

Along with The (magical) Besnard Lakes, another favourite of mine, producer/DJ Factor will perform as Factor & The Chandeliers. I’m also looking forward to husband and wife duo Whitehorse, which is made up of Melissa McLelland and Luke Doucet, both equally talented in their own right, throwback vocal group Rosie and the Riveters and of course The Seahags with their garage-punk-folk-country mishmash.

“Zondra Roy’s face lights up in a big smile when she talks about National Youth Arts Week, a nationwide event she played a big part in developing.

Roy, 22, is seated in her westside Saskatoon office at the CRU Youth Wellness Centre. The walls are covered in posters from her last year of work, which includes Rock the Vote events and a talk by hip-hop legend KRS-One.

Roy, who also performs hip-hop under the name Pricelys, is well versed in both arts and politics. She was part of a team of youth from across Canada that met last September to brainstorm ideas for the first ever National Youth Arts Week. In total, there are more than 200 events taking place across the country.

“I’m incredibly proud of Saskatoon,” she says. “We have an incredibly condensed arts scene. Everyone is so there for the right reasons, and you can find anything if you look for it.

Youth arts week starts tomorrow (May 1) and runs to May 7 across Canada. Saskatoon has about 35 different events, more than any other city in Canada, that run the gamut from the serious to the spontaneous. There are crafting workshops, children’s activities at public libraries, murals, chalk drawings and a 24-hour-long art making extravaganza. On the serious side there are discussions on human trafficking and aboriginal rights, film screenings and spoken word performances.

Roy shows some of the paintings that were just completed at the youth centre by members of the Walking the Journey group, which supports survivors of the sex trade. They will be on display at some of the events, including the Youth Unchained forum, which features Free the Children founder Craig Kielburger.

Part of the diversity of events has to do with Roy’s immersion in the community. Her friends and contacts range from kids in core communities to politicians. Roy hopes to reach more than 1,000 people with the week’s events. Many of the events are free of charge.”